I once had a house guest from Cuba．During his visit，I happened to throw an old broken blender（攪拌機） in the trash．The next day it was sitting on my counter-in working order．In his world，people simply cannot afford to replace an item which doesn't work properly．They take the time and figure out how to fix it．In Cuba，they are still driving cars from the 1960s，mainly because they do not have a choice．
In contrast，the US is a "throwaway" society．Statistics show that each American produces six pounds of trash per day．I believe a combination of factors has contributed to this phenomenon．
Planned obsolescence（廢棄） is not a secret．It is a manufacturing（制造業(yè)） philosophy developed in the 1920s and 1930s，when mass production became popular．The goal is to make a product or part that will fail，or become less desirable over time or after a certain amount of use．This pressures consumers to buy again．
Planned obsolescence does keep costs down．Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time，businesses produce more affordable，disposable（一次性的） items．Some electronic items have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them than to repair them．
Busy people often value their time and convenience more than money．If a car starts to have mechanical problems，replacing it with a newer，more reliable model may be more appealing than tolerating it being in the garage for a week．
In addition，advertising trains consumers to want what is new and improved．It convinces them that the more they have，the happier they will be．
Unlike people in many developing countries，we live in a world of abundance．A study by Dr Timothy Jones of the University of Arizona also found that in the US，40～50 percent of all food ready for harvest is wasted．Abundance and waste soon became closely associated in the American way of life．
（1）In Cuba，people usually fix a broken item instead of buying a new one because BB．
A．wasting is prohibited there
B．they are poor
C．they are interested in fixing things
D．they live a low-carbon life
（2）According to the article，planned obsolescence BB．
A．began before mass production became popular
B．is intended to encourage consumers to buy more things
C．results in higher prices of items
D．requires factories to produce high-quality products
（3）Which of the following is NOT true about the "throwaway" society in the US？ DD
A．People prefer to buy a new blender rather than repair the broken one．
B．A large quantity of food has been wasted．
C．People believe that the more they have，the happier they will be．
D．People all hold the belief that money comes first．
（4）What may be the writer's attitude towards a throw-away society？ BB
A．Supportive．
B．Critical．
C．Tolerant．
D．Optimistic．
【考點】社會．
【答案】B；B；D；B
【解答】
【點評】
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發(fā)布：2024/5/27 14:0:0組卷：0引用：1難度：0.5
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（1）What can we know about Burlington School？
A．It is open all year.
B．It is located in London.
C．It provides no accommodation.
D．It offers no social practice classes.
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D．It offers General and Specialist English courses.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 16:30:6組卷：0引用：1難度：0.6 -
2．Hi Judy!
You often complain to me that you always buy goods unreasonably on sale promotion（促銷）and feel it shameful after going back to your school dormitory with new things not needed，considering all the money you spend is your parents' income．
In fact，this is a common phenomenon，called impulsive buying，a buying unplanned and hard to control．It usually happens when a store offers discounts（打折）or sales promotion-a special way used by stores to get more customers，which means you may fall into its traps even without notice．
Stores，with a good knowledge of customers' psychology（心理），make use of it to drive business．Avoiding all the impulsive buying is a hard thing．However，knowing our psychology behind it and reducing the times when influenced by sales promotion may be useful．So you should keep calm when facing the sales promotion by keeping in mind what you really need．
Find out the conditions where you are likely to buy things blindly．When seeing a dress advertised at 20% off，do not concentrate on the discount，but warn yourself against falling into the trap of "saving money''．
Besides，do not forget the long-term effects of your choice when meeting a sales promotion．Short-term benefits，like excited feeling just after buying items encourage impulsive buying．But the long-term costs such as waste of money and the sense of shame really annoy you．When seeing the advertisements，remember what you really want to buy originally and warn yourself of that terrible feeling．Only in this way can you save money for really needed things．
Yours，
Rachel
（1）Judy felt it a shame to．
A．complain to others about the poverty of her family
B．waste her parents' money on unneeded things
C．buy cheap things at lower prices or with less money
D．rely on her parents for further education
（2）Which of the following is true of impulsive buying according to Rachel？
A．It is designed by shops to draw customers' attention．
B．It can be brought under control with the help of stores．
C．It is planned by buyers with the purpose of saving money．
D．It is done by customers without considering its bad effects．
（3）In face of sales promotion Judy is advised to．
A．have belief in her own immediate decision
B．check the quality of the goods at low prices
C．stay calm by thinking about what she really needs
D．take the chance to learn more about stores tricks
（4）How do buyers usually feel in the long run after buying discounted things？
A．Regretful．
B．Thrilled．
C．Relaxed．
D．Sceptical．發(fā)布：2025/1/10 8:0:1組卷：4引用：2難度：0.6 -
3．Ever since I graduated from high school I've worked in the factories surrounding my hometown every summer.However，making the transformation between school and full-time blue-collar work during the break never gets any easier.For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be unacceptable，getting to a factory by 6 o'clock each morning is suffering.My friends never seem to understand why I'm so relieved to be back at school or that my summer vacation has been anything but a vacation.
There are few people as self-confident as a college student who has never been out in the real world.People of my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge.In fact，all the classes did not prepare me for my battles with the machine I ran in the plant，which would jam whenever I absent-mindedly put in a part backward or upside down.
The most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear over night.Issues like being laid off and overseas relocation had always seemed distant to me until my co-workers told me that the unit I was working in would shut down within six months and move to Mexico，where people would work for 60 cents an hour.
After working 12-hour shifts（輪班）in a factory，the other options have become only too clear. "This job pays well，but it's hell on the body，" said one co-worker. "Study hard and keep reading." she added.When I'm back at the university，skipping classes and turning in lazy re-writes seems too irresponsible after seeing what I would be doing without school.All the advice and public-service announcements about the value of an education that used to sound stale（陳腐的）now ring true.
My experiences in the factories have inspired me to make the most of my college years before I enter the real world for good.
（1）What does the author think of his summer holiday？
A．It was no holiday for him at all.
B．It brought him nothing but suffering.
C．It was a relief from his hard work at school.
D．It offered him a chance to make more friends.
（2）What can we infer about most college students？
A．They do better in the real world.
B．They are confident when they work.
C．They think too highly of themselves.
D．They are expert at handling machines.
（3）What is the biggest pressure for blue-collar workers？
A．A low income.
B．The lack of security.
C．An unstable location.
D．Less break.
（4）How did the working experiences change the author？
A．He became responsible for his work.
B．He learned to be more practical at work.
C．He began to respect blue-collar workers.
D．He came to appreciate his college education.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 16:30:6組卷：0引用：1難度：0.5
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